Oil Rig Disaster

April 15, 1985

TORONTO — Feb. 15, 1982: The oil rig Ocean Ranger sank in a violent storm off Newfoundland. On board: Robert Wilson. An employee of Neyrfor Turbodrilling Co. of Canada Ltd., Wilson was to have been on the rig for only a few days. Instead he perished with 83 other men, leaving behind ''a close-knit family.'' The family sued Mobil Oil of Canada, several other companies and the U.S. government. Upshot: Wilson's widow and two daughters will receive more than $1.46 million in exchange for dropping their suit. It is believed to be the largest single payment among settlements in the disaster. Lawyer Roderick Winsor: ''It was a particularly tragic case.''